Cao Zhen, who led his army to evacuate from Yi County, did not take long to retreat all the way to Wuzhangyuan to join forces with Guo Huai.
Guo Huai, who was responsible for building the Wuzhangyuan defense line, couldn't help but be curious when he saw Cao Zhen leading his army to "join" him so quickly.
After questioning, Guo Huai learned the whole story.
After learning that Mi Yang led the main force of the Han army to approach Yi County regardless of the danger in the rear, even Guo Huai, who had always been rich in military strategy, was shocked by Mi Yang's operation.
But being frightened, Guo Huai quickly figured out Cao Zhen's purpose of leading his army to Wuzhangyuan to join forces with him based on the available intelligence.
Perhaps there have been many rumors among the Wei army recently claiming that Cao Zhen, as a great general of the Wei Dynasty, was as afraid of women as a tiger, but Guo Huai naturally would not believe those rumors.
After all, if it is true as the rumors say that Cao Zhen hurriedly withdrew his troops out of fear of Mi Yang, then Cao Zhen should have withdrawn all the way to Chang'an City.
Chang'an City's city defenses, which are like a natural moat, can give people the greatest sense of security.
But Cao Zhen did not do this, which shows that Cao Zhen's purpose of emergency evacuation from Xi County was mainly to lead troops to block the Han army led by Mi Yang at Wuzhangyuan.
After learning about Cao Zhen's purpose, Guo Huai reported to Cao Zhen the current defense details of Wuzhangyuan when Cao Zhen first arrived at Wuzhangyuan.
Guo Huai led his army to Wuzhangyuan to set up defenses, but it had not been half a month.
But Guo Huai is a rare good general in the world, and the terrain of Wuzhangyuan is steep, so even if he only had half a month, Guo Huai quickly built a solid line of defense in Wuzhangyuan.
Guo Huai's report made Cao Zhen, who was worried along the way, smile rarely.
In times of national crisis, the value of talents becomes even more evident.
Obviously, Guo Huai is a talent who can solve problems for the country in times of national crisis.
Cao Zhen praised Guo Huai without hesitation in public.
Cao Zhen's praise made Guo Huai feel happy and made him take the initiative to tell Cao Zhen his thoughts on Mi Yang's sudden attack.
"Although the enemy took Qizhai by surprise and broke into Xiayi County, he still advanced too rashly.
But if you refuse to hold on to the strong wall to thwart the enemy's advance, he will be unable to advance and retreat with no chance of fighting. If you stop for a long time, your food will be exhausted, and the captives will have nothing to gain, so they will have to leave. Follow them while they are running, and wait for the work at ease. This is the way to complete victory."
In Guo Huai's view, Mi Yang's bold attack indeed exceeded many people's expectations and provided a good starting point for his subsequent attack on Chang'an.
It's just that everything has pros and cons.
From an objective fact perspective, Chencang is still in our own hands, and there are many elites in Chencang City.
This is a hidden danger that Mi Yang can avoid, but cannot ignore.
After all, bypassing Chencang is a stopgap measure.
Moreover, as long as the Wuzhangyuan can be defended and Mi Yang is not allowed to reach the entrance of the Xie Valley, the more aggressive Mi Yang advances, the further the Han army's food road will be stretched.
To use an analogy, the Han army's current food road is like a tight rope.
Once the pressure on the rope exceeds the limit that it can withstand, the rope will be broken directly.
This was a fatal and unavoidable problem for the Han army.
On the surface, the current situation is unfavorable to our side, but it does not mean that we are really helpless.
What we have to do now is to keep applying pressure on the rope, brake it quietly, and wait for the moment when the rope breaks.
If our side can complete this strategic concept, not to mention driving out the enemy invaders, some larger strategic goals are not unforeseen - for example, annihilating the main force of the Han Army's Northern Expedition in Guanzhong.
Guo Huai's words made Cao Zhen look even better.
Due to the emergency situation when he was in Yi County, Liu Ye did not give Cao Zhen an in-depth analysis of the reasons for abandoning Yi County and retreating to Wuzhangyuan.
However, on the way to retreat to Wuzhangyuan, Liu Ye carefully analyzed the pros and cons of this matter for Cao Zhen in private.
Liu Ye's analysis and Guo Huai's advice in front of him today can be said to have the same effect but different approaches.
The two important ministers had different approaches and similar goals, which made Cao Zhen realize that the current situation was not too bad for the Wei army.
At least Wuzhangyuan hasn't been lost yet.
After realizing this, Cao Zhen's mood gradually improved.
When Cao Zhen's expression turned brighter, Guo Huai suggested to Cao Zhen: "At this moment, our army should divide its troops and go to Weibei to station."
Cao Zhen, who was originally in a good mood, fell down again after hearing Guo Huai's suggestion to divide his troops.
Divide troops?
It's not that Cao Zhen saw any hidden dangers in Guo Huai's suggestion to divide his troops, it was mainly his conditioned reflex.
Not to mention the Battle of Liangzhou, which Cao Zhen regarded as a lifelong shame, let's talk about the defeat the Wei army suffered after the Han army's Northern Expedition.
Previously, he and Cao Zhang divided their troops and garrisoned them respectively in Shanggui and Jieting. Then in the battle of Jieting, Cao Zhang was defeated miserably.
A few days ago, he divided his troops and returned to defend the rear. As a result, when the main force of the Han army attacked, Xi County had insufficient defense strength, so he had no choice but to abandon Xi County.
These two failures were both caused by mistakes in troop division tactics. Under the influence of these two failures, Cao Zhen instinctively had an ominous premonition when he heard the word division of troops.
Of course, even though he was reluctant in his heart, Cao Zhen would not speak out his true thoughts in public, otherwise wouldn't he have truly confirmed his reputation as "fearing the enemy as much as a tiger"?
Cao Zhen pretended to ask and then said to Guo Huai:
"People gather in Weinan, which is a must-win place."
Cao Zhen did not directly refute Guo Huai's suggestion, but everyone in the tent heard the rejection in Cao Zhen's words.
Since Weinan is a battleground, all forces must be concentrated to defend Wuzhangyuan.
It was just that the generals understood what Cao Zhen meant by rejecting Guo Huai, but the reason why Cao Zhen rejected Guo Huai made the generals look at each other in confusion.
Although the land in Weinan is more fertile than that in Weibei, it does not mean that "people gather in Weinan".
The general's reason is really far-fetched.
Guo Huai also knew that Cao Zhen's reason was a bit far-fetched, and from this reason, he vaguely understood Cao Zhen's true thoughts.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Guo Huai, who was aware of Cao Zhen’s true thoughts, would not be stupid enough to expose Cao Zhen face to face. He just continued to persuade:
"Mi thieves have always been changeable in their tactics. Now that our army has the advantage, we have not divided our troops to go to the Wei River first. If Mi Yang arrives with his army, he instead splits his troops to attack the Wei River unexpectedly. Then Weibei will be shaken. What will our army do?
In order to prevent the bandits from spying on Weibei, our army should take precautions and send troops to build forts in Weibei first.
If the bandits want to divide their forces to attack Weibei at that time, our army can cross halfway and attack them, and we will definitely win!"
Guo Huai was resolute and urged Cao Zhen to divide his troops and station them in Weibei in advance.
After giving the above reasons, Guo Huai continued to say in order to further get Cao Zhen to agree:
"Besides, as long as our army can hold Weibei, our army's path to Longyou will not be cut off.
The main force of the bandit army is currently led by Mi bandit, approaching Wuzhangyuan step by step. The bandit army's defense in Longyou is empty.
When the enemy is empty, our army can take advantage of it."
Guo Huai's words attracted Cao Zhen's attention.
Cao Zhen hurriedly asked Guo Huai, "Is it possible that you want to lead your troops back and take a detour to attack the thieves in the front and back?"
When Cao Zhen asked Guo Huai, his face showed joy.
He was happy because of Guo Huai's courage.
It's a pity that Cao Zhen will be disappointed.
Faced with Cao Zhen's sudden inquiry, Guo Huai suddenly choked on his words.
Does he look like such a brave person?
In order to clear up Cao Zhen's misunderstanding about him, Guo Huai immediately replied:
"otherwise.
Although the enemy's troops in Longyou are empty, there are thieves and thousands of elite soldiers in Anding County. Even though I am willing to sacrifice my life for the country, going forward with few soldiers will not be enough to achieve meritorious service. On the contrary, I will worry about losing my troops and humiliating the country.
If more soldiers go there, our army's defense in Wuzhangyuan will be empty again, which will instead give opportunities for thieves to take advantage of.
I believe that if the Mi bandits cross the Wei River and board the plains, and join forces in the northern mountains to cut off the Long Road, then our army will no longer be able to exert influence on Longyou.
But as long as our army can occupy Beiyuan, the contact between our army and Longyou will not be severed.
When winter comes, I can send my confidants to hook up with the foreign tribes in Longyou and let them harass the Han army's food route so that the enemy army cannot see each other. Then what difficulty will our army have in repelling the enemy army?"
Guo Huai's words made Cao Zhen think deeply.
Although Guo Huai lacked the courage to go deep alone, which made him a little disappointed.
But what Guo Huai said later still moved Cao Zhen.
Cao Zhen knew Guo Huai's reputation in Longyou. Although the Han army had already occupied Longyou, it was only last month.
Even if time passes to winter, the Han army will not occupy Longyou for more than half a year.
Half a year was definitely not enough for the Han army to establish a firm foothold in Longyou. On the other hand, Guo Huai's prestige in Longyou lasted for more than ten years, which was unmatched by Mi Yang.
This is also the biggest reason why Guo Huai is confident that he can provoke the Longyou Qiang people into rebellion.
While Cao Zhen was deep in thought, Liu Ye, who was standing by, saw that Cao Zhen was still hesitating, and quickly came out and said to Cao Zhen:
"What Guo Yongzhou said is reasonable, and the general has no need to doubt it."
Liu Ye's support made Cao Zhen no longer hesitate.
Cao Zhen finally looked at Guo Huai and said: "I will give you 10,000 soldiers to station in Weibei. I hope you will not let me down."
Cao Zhen agreed and Guo Huai was overjoyed.
He quickly bowed to Cao Zhen and said: "I will die in service!"
After deciding on the strategy of dividing the troops in Weibei, Cao Zhen felt a little tired, so he asked Liu Ye to write a memorial and submit the current military situation to Luoyang.
After arranging this matter, Cao Zhen ordered the generals to go down and rest.
A fierce battle is coming, and now is the time to recharge your batteries.
...
Liu Ye had extraordinary literary talent. He quickly wrote a memorial and ordered the courier to hurry up and send it to Luoyang.
The messenger knew that this was an urgent military situation, so he did not dare to delay at all on the way. Within a few days, the messenger delivered Cao Zhen's memorial to Cao Rui.
Seeing Cao Rui after playing the watch, veins naturally appeared on his forehead.
There has been no military information from the front line for a while. Cao Rui, who believes that no bad news is good news, has rarely felt at ease during this time.
But who knows that his dear generals on the front line will either not send bad news, but will send big news instead?
The street pavilion was lost, and tens of thousands of Luoyang's Chinese troops were destroyed.
Abandoning the defense at Shanggui, one hundred thousand enemy troops marched all the way to Wuzhangyuan.
Cao Rui felt that just one of these two pieces of news would speed up his heartbeat, let alone two coming at once?
Cao Rui was so angry that he smashed the jade cup in front of him.
This jade cup was a tribute from a small country in the Western Regions to the Wei Dynasty. After Cao Zhen won a great victory in the Battle of Hexi, all the countries in the Western Regions worshiped Cao Wei as Zhengshuo and paid tribute incessantly.
This has always been something that Cao Pi was proud of, and it was also regarded by the world as a symbol of the Zhengshuo of China.
But Cao Rui knew that this symbol, like the jade lamp in front of him, had become fragmented.
The loss of Liangzhou meant that Cao Wei would no longer be able to exert influence on the Western Regions.
In the future, if the countries in the Western Region want to pay tribute, they will probably have to pay tribute to the gradually recovering Han Dynasty.
When he thought of this, Cao Rui felt as uncomfortable as a fire burning in his heart.
Fortunately, Cao Rui in this life has never experienced the pain of losing his mother, so his mentality is not too extreme.
Otherwise, based on his current mood, the lives of the servants in the palace might be in danger.
It's just that Cao Rui's mind is different from ordinary people's. After being burned inside and out for a while, Cao Rui still forced himself to calm down.
He immediately ordered his chamberlain to summon Situ Huaxin to come.
It didn't take long for Hua Xin, who was retiring at home, to be summoned to Cao Rui.
When Hua Xin arrived at the main hall, he found that he was the only minister in the main hall, which made him a little confused.
Although Hua Xin is currently Cao Wei's Situ, he ranks among the three princes.
However, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Situ seemed to be an official position with a false name but no real power.
Hua Xin knew this very well, so unless he had an important court meeting, he usually stayed at home to recuperate.
In the past, when discussing important state affairs, it didn't mean that oneself would not be called, but it was just that only oneself would not be called.
But the current scene clearly violated past conventions, which inevitably made Hua Xin feel wary.
He instinctively felt that today would not be an easy day for him.
Hua Xin's prediction was correct. After Hua Xin arrived and took his seat, Cao Rui quickly handed the memorial sent by Cao Zhen into the hands of Hua Xin.
After reading the contents of the memorial, Hua Xin couldn't help but change his face.
In order not to cause unrest in the hearts of Luoyang, Cao Rui has always strictly prohibited the spread of military information on the front line in Luoyang City.
In addition, Hua Xin didn't care much about the military, so he didn't know much about the military situation on the front line before.
Even if Hua Xin had previously suspected that the military situation on the front line was not good for the Wei army, how could he have imagined that the military situation on the Guanzhong front line was already so dangerous?
Hua Xin subconsciously wanted to get up and ask Cao Rui to convene the ministers for discussion.
But before Hua Xin could get up, Cao Rui waved his hand to stop Hua Xin's move. Then Cao Rui stared at Hua Xin and told Hua Xin the purpose of summoning him:
"I want to worship you as my envoy, so I will go as an envoy to Sun Quan."
Cao Rui's words set off alarm bells in Hua Xin's heart, and what Cao Rui said next made Hua Xin sweat with shock:
"I want you to convey something to Sun Quan on my behalf and ask about something.
What was conveyed was that Gu Yun asked to marry his eldest daughter as his concubine, and from then on the two families became friends of Qin and Jin.
When Gu Gu ascends the throne in the future, his eldest daughter will be the mother of the Wei Dynasty.
The question to ask is: does he want to be a servant of the hypocrite all his life, or does he also want to be one of those nine-five-year-olds!" If you like Mi Han, please collect it: (www.sodu777.net) Mi Han Search Novel Network Update Speed The fastest on the entire network.
This chapter has been completed!